Tarnish-resisting silver and silver plate and processes for producing the same



* plate are produced by the use of mercury, as r Patented any 3, ldfltl,

DANIEL GRAY AND RIGHARD 0. HADLEY, 0F UNEIDA, 'Al ID WILLIAM E. MURRAY,01E

'UTJECA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 ONEIDA COMMUNITY, NEW YORK, AUORPUEATION 01? NEW YORK.

LIMITED, U-F UNEIDA,

TARNTSH-RESISTING- SILVER AND SILVER PJLATE AND PROCESSIEfi FORPRUDUCING:

a. Drawing. Application filed April a, 19%, Serial No. 703,9Wl. RenewedDecember is, race.

This invention relates to tarnish resisting silver, silver alloys andsilver plated Ware, and to a process of producing the same.

The tarnishing of silver, silver alloy or silverplated articles on theshelves of the dealer, and in the house andother places of use, is asource of muchinconvenience and expense in that frequent cleaning of thearticles, by rubbing, polishing, etc. is necessaryto restore them totheir natural color and brightness, such cleaning also impairing theoriginal lustre or finish and in time resulting in more or less wear ofthe polished surface and its surface ornamentation.

lt is the object of this invention to over.- come these objectionsby-providing silver, silver alloy and silverplated Ware which will betarnish resisting, and also a process of producing such Ware.

This is accomplished according to the present invention by combiningWith the silver, silver alloy or silver plate a'inetal or metals which,in such combination, will have a shielding action as to tarnish so thatthe article as a Whole will be tarnish resisting.

The metal selected for this purpose is mercury.

The present invention has particular reference to the production ofsilver, silver alloy or silver plate, to all of which mercury has beenadded.

According to the present invention this tarnish resisting silver, silveralloy and silver before stated. Thesilver, silver alloy or silver plateis exposed to the vapor of mercury in an oven maintained at a suitabletemperature for vaporizing the mercury, and under this condition themercury is absorbed by the silver, silver alloy or silver plate.

. (The detailed Way of carrying out the process may be described asfollows The silver, silver alloy or silver plate is set our hands.

placed in-a steam jacketed oven of about 1 cubic foot capacity togetherwith'an excess of mercury. We have found that temperatures ranging from290 F. to'3159F. are suitable for the purposes of this process. Themercury is contained in shallow open dishes. The time of exposure whichWe use ranges from a few minutes to a few hours, depending upon theamount of mercury which We Wish to be absorbed by the silver, silveralloy or silver plate. V

Depending upon the amount and surface of silver, silver alloy or silverplate tobe treated, varying percentages of mercury may be added.

Very good results havebeen obtained in this respect by the absorption bythe silver, silver alloy or silver plate of from fractional percentagesupto as high as 14% of its Weight of mercury.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein-described process of producing tarnish-resisting silver,silver alloy or silverplate Which consists in exposing the silver,silver alloy or silverplate to mercury in an oven maintained at asuitable temperature for the vaporization of the mercury and theabsorption thereof by the silver, silver alloy or silverplate.

2. An article having a working surface con-- taining not less than aboutof silverand a quantity of mercury suflioientto render said surfaceresistant to tarnish, but not sufiicient to form asoft amalgam With saidsilver. In testimony whereof, We have hereunto DANIEL GRAY. RICHARD o.BAILEY. WILLIAM s; MURRAY;-

